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Jan 27, 2011

Running in Pittsburgh?

Great run outside again today. Finally, that's three is a row. Unfortunately, it's not looking good for Saturday's run. We are expecting 2-3 inches of the white stuff.

Today I ran 3.1 miles. The schedule had three but I really wanted that extra 0.1 miles on my Garmin. Have you ever done that? Rounded up your miles or round them to a 5 or 10k. I'm sure some of you round by the ten mile(Jim 50 after 40) Haha! I think it's good for the confidence.

My other issue I have been thinking about is how to run when I'm out of town. I'm going to be in Pittsburgh for a week in February. Yes, sounds like an exciting getaway, huh? It will probably be colder and snowier than it is here. Ha! Anyway, I'm trying to decide if I should just run on the treadmill at the hotel gym or if I should take my runs outside. I have several issues I'm dealing with. First, I don't know the area so that would mean running in unfamiliar territory. Second, I'm running at 5am so it's dark. My experience tells me running in a dark place AND unknown territory alone might not be the best combination for my runs that week. I will be right downtown Pittsburgh so I'm sure there are great places to run down there. Anyone ever been there? Anyone from there or follow a blog from someone that lives in downtown Pittsburgh? I will be close to PNC Park.

I did find a running club that meets during the week but it's not too close to the hotel and I will not have a car that week. Any suggestions, let me know. I'm thinking the dreadmill unfortunately. Fortunately, I have a step back week that week so I only need to do 3,5,3 that week so it won't kill me to be inside but it would be nice to run outside where I don't normally run.

22 comments:

I was lazy this morning and did not get up and now I regret it, but I think my body needed a rest. Great job getting out there! The temps have been mild the last few days and hopefully will remain until tomorrow.

Great job on committing to running while traveling. I find that most of the "riff-raff" has been in bed for a couple of hours at that time of day. The biggest hang-up for me when out of town is usually the unknown elevation. I've accidentally ran some hellacious hills while out of town because I didn't know the course.

Great idea on going the extra .1 on your workouts. It will get you in the mindset of going a little extra in a race. For your marathon, you will most likely end up running 26.5 or something close, as opposed to 26.2. You'll think the course was marked incorrectly, but it wasn't - google "running the tangents" if you haven't already for great tips on running from point A to point B in a straight line.

I didn't do this my first couple of races and it really freaked me out when I looked at my Garmin. After 26.2, I still had half a mile to go. Adding a little to your training runs is a great way to prepare for this mentally so it's not unexpected on race day.

Going for a run is my favorite way to see a new city. I don't know anything about downtown Pittsburgh, so I'll echo what others are saying by checking running clubs/stores. Most have maps. You can also check routes on Dailymile/mapmyrun.com/USATF, etc.

I am a chicken when it comes to working out when I travel. My last trip I actually got a day pass and went to a gym. That was a big step! But I am a weirdo, I am just not an outdoor runner so most of my runs are on treadmills. Thus, I usually don't mind running on hotel treadmills.

New town? Perfect opportunity to step outside your hotel for a run - even if just to see what is available in the surrounding area. You can also probably find information online for parks and running trails.

I vote the dreadmill. Fitting in your runs while traveling can be so hard. Especially if the treadmill isn't a good one or if you have to wait to use it because they only have 1 or 2. Good luck. Good thing it is an easier week. Sorry I've been so bad about commenting on your blog...I've been horrible about keeping up lately.

I travel somewhat frequently for work and one of the first things I do is figure out where I can run. I usually try to stick to main roads or find a park as a destination. Do be careful running in an unfamilar city in the dark. The local running store can often suggest routes as well. Sometimes the hotel even has suggestions.